A Headless Romance
by BartyCrouchJr.666
Summary: So have you ever loved a story so much that you wish it were real, well Janise is about to have here wish come true. I wouldn't say teen, mabey tween, but still it's a look at the iner heart of a strange girl who follows her dreams."ok i stink at sums."
1. Chapter 1

I don't own any part of sleepy hollow especially the horseman but I own Janise and other characters of the "real world"

It was a crisp day at the end of fall, and the whole neighborhood was a buzz with talk of candy and costumes. There was one house decked out to the max, as if some sick elf had no idea what a gingerbread house should look like. There were false limbs everywhere, tombstones and cobwebs, giant candy corns, and so many strange sights strewn across the yard. The house itself wasn't much to see a small white house with a black shingled roof and little green shutters. At the very edge of the yard crouched a strange dark cloaked figure, it seemed to be tinkering with an electrical box.

"Janise, where the devil are you," Cried a plump woman in the doorway to the little house.

The figure stood from its place between the two enormous oak trees, "Over here mother," she cried.

"What are you doing?" asked Janise's mother in exasperation.

"Fixing up the wires for the sound effects and pop up monsters," said Janise jovially, "you see, when a trick or treater walks through this little laser beam it trips off the pop up zombie, and then they'll jump, causing their foot to slip backwards through the laser a second time. This will cause the howling and wailing to be set off through that speaker." At this she pointed to a speaker mounted to the left of her in a low branch of the oak.

"I will never understand your silly obsession with Halloween and mechanics."Her mother rolled her eyes and walked back in the house.

Janise shrugged her shoulders and went back to work, singing Halloween tunes all the way. She was all prepared for Halloween, tones of candy, decorations, and the perfect costume. But still the mood was incomplete, for what good is trick or treating without a friend? In school all mocked her for her constant reading of sleepy hollow. "I hope the hessian rises for your head!" she would think to herself.

Halloween went off without a hitch; Janise's yard scared at least twenty kids and at least ten adults. Her costume was enough to scare anyone, a long silky evening gown with rips all over it. She fixed it so that shattered bone poked out at strange angles, blood stains covered the chest, and her throat appeared to be slit. Her face was painted a silky hue and her lips a breathless blue. Her long brown hair fell like veil of spider webs around her head, giving the impression of a restless live burial escape.

Slowly October chilled itself to November and her birthday came and went with little celebration. Imagine turning sweet sixteen and having a party for you your family and your cat, not a happy occasion, huh? She was very happy to receive a new hand carved figure of Dracula which she proudly mounted on her book shelf, and a strange _real_ skull.

"It's from the revolutionary battle in new York. We thought you'd like it seeing as you have an obsession with that roving fellow." Piped Janise's father eager for her approval.

"Irving"

"What?"

"Irving, Washington Irving…not Orving." She clarified as she rolled her eyes. "I love it thank you!"

Sadly the month rolled on with little to do for thanksgiving break, but at least Christmas was on its way. Indeed Janise was ready for Christmas; she started pulling out the ornaments a week before her father brought the tree home. Her family woke the next morning t an array of lights and shiny baubles covering a large green douglassfur. They smiled knowing that soon the world would seem a little brighter with their daughter looking forward to snow. She would be cheerful and sing and miraculously talk and mingle with others.


	2. Chapter 2

It was Christmas Eve when all was quiet that the strange stooped apparition walked through the wall of the living room in the small house. It didn't even notice the large bright tree in the room as it made its way, following an invisible scent. It led the thing to Janise's bedroom; it turned from side to side until it reached out toward the object it was in search of. It grasped the skull as if it were a fragile porcelain doll. Carefully it placed atop its bare shoulders were a head belonged. A sour smell and greenish glow emitted from the place were the rotten flesh and the skull had met. With a sudden pop a head appeared in place of the skull, covered in deathly pale skin and the eyes blazed with white fire behind the glassy gray marble of the iris. Jet black hair fell down to his nose which he quickly brushed away from the pointed peak on his face. He looked down at himself and realized that although his armor still seemed rotted and faded with wear and tare, his body was once again in tact. He smiled feeling the muscles in his jaw flex. He heard a grunt of protest from the sleeping occupant's reaction to the strange odor. The pale man turned quietly so as not to be noticed. He stared at the girl in awed silence, marveling at her paleness. How was it that she was paler than he and yet alive he pondered? He noted the grace of her chest heaving silently up and down as she breathed. Why had she had his skull, where was he and who was this young lady? His brain puzzled and hurt, he'd forgotten what a pain it was to take in too much information at once. It had been so long since he had seen one of his victims that he'd forgotten how precious life appeared.

The girl stirred, he drew his sword swiftly then remained motionless. Janies rolled onto her back and sat up. Her arms stretched high above her head as her back arched in a yawn of contentment. She blinked several times to get use to the dark, she turned to leave her bed in search of water. Janise stoped at the door as realization dawned on her like a rainbow of surprise. She turned with wide eyes to the other being in the room.

As the man raised his sword above his head Janise cried out, "warten, ich bin ein Freund!"

The figure stopped mid swing, and stared at the girl.

"Sie sprechen Deutsch? wie?,"asked the man in silent confusion.

Janise shrugged, "Sie sprechen Englisch?"

"Not vell but eh do," replied the figure noticing her American accent. "You are Blue coat?"

"No, you're a little out of your time," she giggled, "The war has been over for about 233 years give or take" he looked confused again, "We won." She said pointedly and smiled. "My name is Janise Yalker, and you are?" He shook his head sadly. "You don't remember, do you?" He frowned at the floor in answer. She smiled brightly as if to say cheer up, but her face fell quickly when she realized that her latest artifact was missing. "What happened to my skull?"

"Your skull?" scowled the man tapping his newly created head. She gasped in horror and stepped back disbelieving what she saw before her.

"You're the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow ," she whispered

"Yes!" he said as he moved closer to her so that she could feel the icy chill of his corpse against her skin. She leapt forward and hugged him around the middle; she nuzzled her face into his decaying armor and giggled.

"I knew you were real, I knew you'd come!" she squealed in sheer delight. Dazed by the sudden action the horseman said nothing but merely pated Janise on the head.

"Chris"

"Pardon"

"my name is Christophe, I don't know quite how but I remember."

"I couldn't help but wonder if you knew what tonight is Chris?" Janise asked brightly. he shook his head. "Christmas eve!" She said merrily. Then a feeling of solemnity came about her, "It must be awful being stuck here while your family has moved on." He nodded sadly to her thought. "Well nobody should be alone on Christmas eve! Come here." She took the horseman by the hand and led him to the tree. She reached to the tree and pulled of a ball. "It isn't much but I think you'll like it." In hi hand she placed a beautiful glass ball painted with blue and silver snow flakes and glitter, along the bottom it read "to the one I love most." The horseman studied it long and hard.

"Danke,"

"gern geschehen," replied Janise blushing so much that the horseman noticed the change in his own icy temperature. He looked up and smiled a particularly grizzly smile that showed sharp pointed teeth.

"vill you join me for the Vantassel Christmas party?"


	3. Chapter 3

By now Janise had decided that she had to be dreaming, "Well, I'd love to but I don't really own any appropriate party clothes."

The horseman stood and thought for a minute, "Come with me and I'll get you a dress." Janise just blushed and held out her hand, which he took hold of. He led her from her room and out the front door where his steed Daredevil stood by the oak trees. "Watch your step," said the horseman holding her steady. She stepped up onto the stirrups; she felt a ruse of excitement she couldn't explain.

"is the party going to be full of ghosts or…" inquired Janise starring up at him.

"no, we are going to their time," he replied starring sternly back at her, "now hold on."

"To what?" Candice clutched his sides as a strange sensation tingled over her skin. There was a tunnel of bright lights and warmth encasing them. The horse seemed to be rung at full gallop, yet it was going nowhere. Suddenly they were dumped roughly out on to a ground in a dark that was deeper than the one they had left. Candice passed out, falling in a crumpled heap on the ground. The horseman scooped her up as she awoke, she threw up on him. He chuckled and wiped them both off.

"where are we?' asked Janise.

"My family's home." He replied. As he strolled across the very dark yard Janise noticed the beautiful castle in the distance. They entered the large double doors and walked through a dark echoing hallway. They came to a set of stairs that wound around a large bronze statue of a beautiful woman in a dressing gown.

"my mother," the horseman said in reply to the girl's questioning look. She nodded and followed him up the stairs. At the top there was a large corridor of rooms, it felt cold and damp. They went through a room on the left. It was roomy with a large bed in the center. Velvet curtains draped the four windows, and there was a large dresser at the far right corner. They began to stroll towards the dresser. "You may dig through and find a dress for the party, all except the vhite one is yours to try on." He pointed at the wedding dress hanging over the dresser. Janise nodded and sat it gently on the bed so as not to wrinkle it.

The horseman left her in the room. She tried on so many dresses, until she found a blue silk dress that fell to her feet, it was covered in gold embroidery and sapphires. She pulled it over her head and laced up the sides. Pulling on a pair of pastel blue flats on and shuffled out of the room, she began her search for the horseman. She wandered down a flight of stairs that curved into a dark room, she screamed as she realized she was in a mosolium.

"Chris! Christophe! Please…where are you." She cried in desperation. "Help!"

A hand covered her mouth as an arm circled her waist, she was pulled back against a stoney figure. She turned and was about to strike when she saw the horseman was holding her. She sobbed into his chest which she realized was no longer covered in armor, but still as cold. He stared at her momentarily taking in her beauty. Careful not to frighten her, the horseman took Janise by the hand and led her out of the room, then out of the house. As the horse trotted off she began to cry again. The horseman pulled off to the side of the road, just a few yards away were the bright lights of the Vantassel mansion. The horseman jumped from the horse's back, and walked around to look at the girl.

"Janise, vhat is wrong?" he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I was just so scared." She calmed down and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She slipped off of the horse and stared at him. The horseman closed his arms around her engulfing her in a freezing circle. Shivering, she struggled to hug back, but couldn't move for she was so cold. They walked the rest of the way to the party, at the front door the master of the house, Baltus, bowed to the girl and shook the cold hand procured to him. The man in the door shivered when the horseman smiled to him.

Taking Janise's hand, Chris led her out onto the dance floor. The music was happy and fast, Chris began to lead her in a skip like spinning spree across the room. They laughed so loud and Candice realized that she'd never been this happy. When her real mother was still alive, she told her to follow her heart and find the man who made her happy. She stared up at him and her heart leapt higher than her own feet in the dance.

The dance ended and the happy couple of friends stood against the wall and watched the party progress. They watched Baltus across the room; he was talking in an awkward manner to his daughter and a strange tall man. They made their way over to Janise and Chris.

"This is my daughter Katrina, and her fiancée Ichabod Crane," Baltus said pointing to the man and woman on his side. Janise was over joyed, how could she possibly be standing in the same room as the characters of her favorite story. Ichabod looked at the horseman, and both men's faces fell. Katrina and Ichabod stepped back and stared in shock and horror.

"Excuse me, will you come with me?" asked Katrina looking at Janise with a smile, "I need some young ladies help in the kitchen." she nodded happy and blissful; she followed Katrina much to the protest of Chris. She wondered what the three men would do while she was gone.

They stepped into the kitchen, and Katrina pointed to an open door. "Quick, run while you can!" Janise stared at Katrina in absolute puzzlement. "Don't you know who you're with out there?"

"Yes. His name is Christophe." Janise replied smugly.

"He is the headless hessian." Katrina said in a grave tone. Janise smiled back and left the kitchen.

She walked back to the horseman and took his hand in hers, at this he looked down in amazement. The tall thin man with the hooked nose was interrogating chris.


End file.
